Machine for removing shoes from lasts



c. c. ABBOTT Er AL MACHINE FOR REMOVING SHOES FROM LASTS Filed March 29, 1934 aeaoas X W A TTORNE V Patented Dec. 31, 1935 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR REMOVING SHOES FROM LASTS Charles Cushman Abbot, Auburn, and Leo A. Gilbert, Lewiston, Maine Application March 29, 1934, Serial No. 717,900

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes and its purpose specifically is to remove a shoe from the last on which it has been built up.

In the process of making shoes, at last is supported upside down on a pedestal while the sole and upper are being worked on and at the proper time when the process is finished, the shoe must be removed from the last to make place for another. This has. generally been accomplished by hand and requires considerable strength.

The purpose: of this. machine is toremove the shoe from the-last. toloosen the heel part from the heel part of the last and toapply the necessaryforce or pressure at. exactly the right place and in. exactly the right way to get the best and quickest results, and preferably by the application of. foot. power instead of hand power.

In the-drawing, Fig. Us a side elevation of the machine with the moving parts stationary in their usual position and with a shoe in its usual position on a last.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same machine with the foot of the operator applied to the 5 treadle suificiently to bring the friction pad in contact with the shoe heel.

Fig. 3 shows the last or finishing position of the foot treadle, friction pad and of the shoe heel when released from the last.

Fig. 4 shows in detail the position of the cam roller and end cam when at rest and at the end of the movement, the relative movement being exaggerated for clearness.

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the rubber pad.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the push rod guide.

In the drawing, P represents a pedestal at the top of which is a pin 9 to which a last such as L is fastened upside down so as to receive a shoe S while it is being worked on or made.

T is a foot treadle medially pivoted to the pedestal P at I!) and having at one end a foot rest II and preferably at the other end a counterweight IZ to bring it back to the down position when the foot F of the operator is removed. This counter-weight I2 may also if desired be used as a stop to prevent the bottom of push rod R from slipping off cam roller l3 which is in position on treadle T close to l2 and which engages the slantingly cut end 3 of the bottom of push rod R. This part 3 is substantially an end cam.

Positioned part way up the pedestal P is a push rod guide G in which is a guide slot 20 at the outer end of which is preferablya guide roller 25 and at the inner end a guide finger 26 able in the holes or bearings 22 and 23 in ped- 10,

estal P and it, with slot 20-, can be adjusted and held nearer to or farther away from pedestal P as desired. This permits adjustment for different sizes of shoes and lasts.

Preferably slot 2|! is nearer pedestal P than 5' the cam roller l3 so that when: the foot F is removed. from rest I I the counter-weight l2- drops roller l3- and the lower part of rod R. which is preferably heavier than the top part causes the lower part to swing towards pedestal P and the 20 top part away from it.

The forceiof' gravity and the positions of the guide 26 and roller 25 which are the ends of slot 20, the position of guide G, pin l and if necessary the member l2 locate push rod R as de- 25 sired.

At the upper end of rod R is fixed a friction pad 2 preferably of rubber or some similar friction material of a size and shape to produce frictional pressure on the heel part 4 of a shoe S 3 when it comes in contact therewith.

The bottom of rod R is out on a slant or is formed as an end cam 3 which norm-ally, with the parts at rest, rests on the cam roller l3.

The tail or stop 5 extends down below the part 35 3 and prevents the'cam roller l3 from slipping out from under cam 3. The shape of the part 3 determines to a great extent the movement of rod R and pad 2.

The action is as follows: 40

Fig. 1 shows the parts in normal or inactive position.

As shown in Fig. 2 when the operator wishes to remove the shoe S from the last L, he places his foot F on' rest ll of treadle T and bears his 45 weight on it. This action, of course, lifts the roller l3 and its first action on end cam 3 is to force it away from pedestal P, rod R pivoting on pin I and on guide roller 25 until pad 2 is moved over into contact with the heel part 4 of 50 shoe S and is stopped there because the last L will not move.

As the pressure or weight continues to be applied through foot F, rod R cannot continue to rock, but roller l3 acting on the part 3 forces 55 the rod against roller 25 and upward, the composition of forces being such that the friction pad 2 is not only pressed with great force against the heel part 4 of the shoe S, but is also forced upward, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, carrying with it heel 4 which slips along the heel M of the last thus freeing the shoe from the last.

As the outside end of slot 20 where roller 25 is located is nearer to the pedestal P than the roller I3, as roller l3 rises it moves the pad 2 toward the pedestal and at the same time forces guide G away from the pedestal as far as nut 28 will permit.

The guide roller 25 and finger 26 in slot 20 might be omitted and instead of a cam roller I3, any kind of a member which would slide against the cam 3, and which could be raised and lowered, might be used.

I claim:

1. In a machine for removing shoes from lasts; the combination of a pedestal having at its top means for supporting a last upside down; with a foot treadle medially pivoted to the pedestal and having a foot rest at one end and a counterweight stop and a cam roller at the other end; an adjustable push rod guide through which is a push rod guide slot in which is a guide roller and a guide finger; and a push rod which passes through the guide slot between the guide roller and the guide finger and is normally supported by a floating pivot pin which rests on the push rod guide, there being a friction pad at the top end of the push rod and, at the bottom end, an end cam in engagement with the cam roller.

2. In a machine for removing shoes from lasts; the combination of a pedestal having at its top means for supporting a last upside down; with a push rod guide which extends out medially of the pedestal and has a push rod guide slot; a push rod which passes through the guide slot and is normally supported by a floating pivot pin which rests on the top of the push rod guide,

said push rod having a friction pad at its top end and, at its bottom end, an end cam; and a member on which the end cam slidably rests, which member can be raised and lowered.

3. In a machine for removing shoes from lasts; the combination of a pedestal having at its top means for supporting a last upside down; with a foot treadle medially pivoted to the pedestal and having a foot rest at one end and a counterweight stop and a cam roller at the other end; 10 an adjustable push rod guide through which is a push rod guide slot in which is a guide roller and a guide finger; and a push rod which passes through the guide slot between the guide roller and the guide finger and is normally supported 15 by a floating pivot pin which rests on the push rod guide, there being a friction pad at the top end of the push rod and, at the bottom end, an end cam in engagement with the cam roller, such end cam being so cut that the upward movement 20 of the roller will rock the push rod until the pad strikes the last and will then be forced upward in engagement with the last.

4. In a machine for removing shoes from lasts; the combination of a pedestal having at its top 2 means for supporting a last upside down; with a push rod guide which extends out medially of the pedestal and has a push rod guide slot; a push rod which passes through the guide slot and is normally supported by a floating pivot pin 30 which rests on the top of the push rod guide, said push rod having a friction pad at its top end and, at its bottom end, an end cam; and a member on which the end cam slidably rests, which member can be raised and lowered, such end cam being so cut that the upward movement of the member on which it rests will rock the push rod until the pad strikes the last and will then be forced upward in engagement with the last.

CHARLES CUSI-IMAN ABBOTT. LEO A. GILBERT. 

